


Run | One Piece

by fallenspacegirl



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Babies, Best Friends, Daddy Issues, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Heartache, Heartbreak, Humor, Love, Love Confessions, Making Love, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Pirates, Pregnancy, Sex, Sexual Humor, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Sobbing, Unplanned Pregnancy, godwhatamidoinghelp, namiwillmurderluffy, soft babies, strawhatpirates - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:07:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23326006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenspacegirl/pseuds/fallenspacegirl
Summary: Two hands gripped each other tightly.One large and muscular, scars taking it upon themselves to dance along the tan skin.The other one small and dainty, skin smooth and creamy, leaving a eye-catching glow.They slowly met one another, hands flinching time to time as the tips of their fingers met, but with calm, they eased into one another.Until the fire went out, and then it was just one hand.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	1. epigraph

I tried to reach you, I can't hide

How strong's the feeling when we dive

I crossed the ocean of my mind

My wounds are healing with the salt

All my senses intensified

Whenever you and I, we dive

I crossed the ocean of my mind

But in the end I drown

You push me down, down

All the shame

When you called my name

I felt pain

When you came


	2. Final Letter

Loser, 

I'm sorry. By the time you've finished the first word, there can nothing to be done for me. I did not want to worry the others, but especially not you. I hope you are not too mad at me for this decision, but despite everything, I wanted one last choice for myself. One last moment of sweet, independent freedom. Tell them to not be upset, that it's okay. Everything will be okay. I hope that we'll see each other in our next lives, may we even be enemies, friends, or bygones, just a glimpse at you, will satisfy me for another life-time. If it eases the pain, forget about me. I'm sorry, monkey. 

Sincerely,

Hiccups


	3. Playlist (Recommended)

Here's the songs I listened to well writing this book. I'll talk about why these helped build their relationships. I recommend listening to these songs to really get a feel for them. 

**I Can't Handle Change (by ROAR)** This song really represents the angsty moments that the couple has together, which doesn't happen in the beginning of the book, but once their fights begin to gradually pick up, then they will have moments together. Karasu doubts herself when it comes to fighting, she doesn't believe she is physically capable and firmly believes herself to be the weak link among her teammates. The others admire her strength greatly, even Zoro complimenting her once, though Luffy is the one who sees it the most out of the others, and is also the only one who sees and acknowledges her uncertainty. 

**High (Sivik)** This song really captivates the equal parts of attraction that Karasu and Luffy feel for one another. They of course start of as friends, which then Luffy begins to admire and feel himself drawn into Karasu more, wanting to be closer with. During a certain battle, then and only then, does Karasu acknowledge him and becomes entranced by his personality, and looks. These two become best friends, telling each other everything and start to unintentionally anchor into each other, slightly depending on the other to not start sinking when troubles start stirring up. I don't wanna spoil too much here, but there ends up being a huge turning point towards the middle of the book that causes them to start acknowledging their feelings for one another. 

**No Lie (Feat. Dua Lupa)** Out of all the songs, this one resonates the most with Karasu's building confidence, thanks to Luffy. As fights progress and Karasu becomes more comfortable with her place in the crew, she begins to make decisions for herself and starts to become more alive, rather than how she was before. Luffy, of course, is attracted to this confidence, and starts to watch her more and more, in awe of how well she can handle herself when pushed in the right direction. Eventually, Karasu becomes aware of this, and starts to show off for him, and when he realizes this, that's when the flirting begins between the two. 

**Cuz I Love You (Lizzo)** Every author's FAVORITE part is touched with this song, and I have to say, that this one is the one that is deeply close with their relationship, since more than half of the book, these two pine after one another. Luffy, not knowing a dollop about romance, has no idea what he is even feeling, just that he does not like when men flirt or weirdly eye at Karasu (other than his friends) and constantly wants to make Karasu smile. On the other hand, Karasu knows what she feels for her captain, but rejects it whenever she isn't around him, and is always flustered around him. They both feel frustrated, emotionally (and sexually as the book progresses) and don't know what to do. This leaves them running in circles 24/7, which amuses their friends. 

**Can We Kiss Forever (Kina)** When it comes to midnight star gazing and tender moments on the wooden deck, this is the song. No fighting, no games, no shields. Nothing but the soft cool breeze and the dark blue skies above our favorite couple. This song really sets the intimate mood between Karasu and Luffy. It represents how they can expose themselves to each other, shyly, almost cautiously, at first, before finally giving in. Luffy can be unsure of himself in these moments, have his doubts and worries, while Karasu can listen and give advice. Karasu can talk about her father, the things he's done to ruin his family, but how she still loves him despite it, and Luffy can offer his ear and a battered hand. 

**VIBEZ (DaBaby)** I don't have much of a description for this song, but I listen to this song during any of the fight scenes where Luffy and Karasu interact and work together as a team. Their movements would be incredibly in sync and they would bring the best out of each other. they do be badass tho.

 **Dangerous Woman/ slowed version (Ariana Grande)** Dirty, raw, hot passion. That is what this song was used for. Read to find out. 

**Wish (Diplo & Trippie Redd)** This one really represents their friendship. Luffy having to really always keep Karasu's cynicalness at bay whenever they're together, by making her laugh and doing stupid shit all the time, and how he gave her back her freedom. Karasu for having to really calm Luffy's bubbly personality down whenever he got too overworked, and to also give him really good advice and feedback when he would ask for it.


	4. The Buggy Pirates (Pt. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait for this chapter, I wanted to re-write it and make the transitions and characters more natural. I also ended up re-doing the entire chapter over from scratch. I tried matching it up to the manga as best as possible, but I had to cut some parts out so I could fit Karasu in and also not drag it out.
> 
> Please enjoy ꒰˘̩̩̩⌣˘̩̩̩๑꒱♡

Bzz, bzzz...

Karasu ignored the ringing snail. She kept her body sprawled out across her old, thin, wooden boat, her freckled shoulders tucking neatly in with the sides underneath the seats, and her legs just being able to make it in without there being a pressure on the top of her head. 

Bzz, bzzzz...

She only kept staring up at the thick, white, full clouds above her, watching them in hopes of forgetting everything. Maybe if she laid down long enough, let time slowly pass her by, she'd forget her name, where she was, and soon after, maybe everybody else would too. Karasu wondered if people could lose their memories after not creating new ones, that if the pages would become blank. 

Bzz, bzzzzzzz...

Sighing, she sat up, using one arm to hold her from falling backwards, and reached over for the snail, using her gloved pointer finger to click down on it, expecting to hear the sound of her angry, hostile father. Karasu was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't though.

"HELP!!! PLEASE HELP, MY TOWN IS UNDER ATTACK!!! THERE'S PIRATES AND THEY'RE BLOWING MY TOWN UP!!" The snail screamed, eyes bulged out of their thin sockets. The black haired girl blankly stared at it until whoever on the other side of the line calmed down. "Hello, is anybody there?"

Karasu leaned forward and nodded. "Yeah, I'm here. Pirates you said?"

The snail visibly relaxed in relief and nodded back to her, its body becoming less tense than it was before. "Y-Yes, pirates stopped here, I guess for supplies, and now they've completely taken over! I've tried reasoning with them but they just blew up a part of my town and terrorized my people."

She hummed, mulling it over. Pirates using canon balls weren't uncommon, but using them after they've docked doesn't make much sense since they're used for long distance attacks on the open sea against competing ships. "Alright, I'll head over, what're your coordinates?"

The mayor replied, thanking her, and hung up. Karasu sat there in silence for a split second, still staring down at the miniature snail that had already closed its eyes and gone to rest. The town was close by, since nobody knew this snail's contact line besides her father. They had most likely been sending out emergency lines in hopes of someone responding back, for how long though, she did not know. 

She then shifted upwards, using her calves to propel her into sitting in one of the seats. Karasu grabbed the splintered paddles, and started rowing towards the small, troubled town, chest feeling unusually heavy. Hopefully she was not too late by the time she arrived.

-

Black, red speckled smoke rose from the far side of town, Karasu noted. That would mean the pirates are probably next to that area, or on the other side of town. Judging by the size of the clouds, it was probably the ladder. She docked the rough looking paddle boat and clambered out of it, having to maneuver her short legs over the tall sides. Peaking around, she notice how empty the town appeared to be. The townsfolk must be hiding inside, she thought. 

Stretching her legs real quick, Karasu started jogging up into the eerily quiet town, trusting her gut feeling and going into the opposite direction of the flames. While passing by the surprisingly clean houses, she noticed how sometimes the curtains would sometimes flutter shut, confirming her theory. She wasn't surprised that nobody came out to stop the pirates, seeing as though how organized everything looked. She doubted if anyone here actually knew how to fight or protect themselves, or if any of them were pirates. 

Upon getting closer to the edge of town, Karasu could hear screaming and shouting, making her break out into a sprint. While running there, a giant boom goes off, causing the small town to shake and crumble. She could only guess that whoever was behind these attacks fired off another cannon ball. 

"HEY YOU STUPID CLOWN LET ME OUT!!" 

Karasu paused mid-step, blinking at what was in front of her. There was a skinny black haired boy stuck in a wooden cage, wearing a pair of sandals and a mellow straw-hat. He had his hands firmly tied behind his back, so he used his teeth to grip the bars. In front of him was a tall, lengthy ginger haired girl, staring at the boy in the cage with absolute horror, yet it didn't seem to be his fault Karasu estimated, for his face seemed rather innocent occurring. 

Across from them were the pirates that were attacking the town, Karasu assumed, since they surfaced as hostile. Though they didn't seem very intimidating or pirate-like. From what she could tell the clown looking "pirate" was the captain, considering he didn't look as generic as the rest of the men surrounding him. 

"Now it's your turn girlie! Prove your loyalty by blowing your former boss into mincemeat with this buggy ball! Show me that you're ruthless enough to help me take over the world! Kill your former boss," the man exclaims, looking smug and excited, his crew members shouting in glee behind him, holding their weapons high up. 

Said girl looked nervous and apprehensive, turning to the clown in terror. Karasu noted that she didn't look like a pirate and probably was not one, as she wore regular clothing and din't seem to be carrying any weapons. "You want me to k-kill him?" 

She then frantically waved her hands up, moving them side to side. "Th-That's okay Captain Buggy, I don't need to do that. Let's just drink some more instead!? Let's forget about that loser!!" 

Karasu peaked at the boy and saw how empty his face was, yet didn't know if that was a normal expression for him. He sat there, watching the girl, seeming to determine what kind of person she was.

Captain Buggy, Karasu guessed, loomed over her with a sickening, grim look. "Do it." His crew members began shouting again, cheering and egging the girl on. 

While they were all doing that, Karasu snuck around without them noticing her and crouched behind the cage. Her gloved hands came up and started to try and get a feel of what material it was before trying to smash it open. The boy had apparently heard her because he then turned his head around to look at her, and just as he was opening his mouth, Karasu leaned forward and clamped a hand over his mouth, shushing him.

"Shh," she whispered softly. "I don't want them to notice me yet."

He only stared for a few more seconds before nodding and turning back around. Karasu relaxed now that her cover wasn't going to be blown and started to try to pick the lock. She stopped for a quick second to take off her black and red hammer, laying it gently on the ground, before going back to trying to get it unlocked. 

Hearing a loud thud, Karasu peaked up through long, dark lashes and saw that the girl had attacked one of the Buggy pirates and knocked him out cold with a long, metal staff. She looked quite shocked in herself as much as the others did. Karasu mentally noted that the boy in the cage and the other woman weren't well acquainted and they had just met under some rather odd circumstances. 

"TRAITOR!! AND AFTER I WELCOMED YOU INTO MY CREW!" Buggy screamed at her, completely enraged. 

The boy in front of her jumped up slightly, the sides of cheeks becoming whole and round, so Karasu knew then that he was grinning. "Whoa, are you going to save me after all?" 

She snapped back to him, still not noticing Karasu. "Don't be stupid!! I just got carried away...I just don't want to become a low-down murderer like all of you!!" She denied, though she did stand in front of him rather protectively, Karasu hummed mentally. Ginger probably didn't even know that she did it though. "You pirates took someone dear to me.. I'll never become what I hate!!!"

Karasu's eyes mellowed unintentionally as she looked at the strong woman in front of her, a new sense of respect stemming from deep within. Guess the boy did too, cause his tense shoulders run-knotted themselves even more and he became quiet, that was until he noticed something. 

"THE FUSE IS LIT!! I'M GONNA DIE!!!" He screamed with absolute dread, leaning forward and starting to naw on the bars that trapped him. Karasu, realizing that she was also in the line of fire, moved directly in front of the cage, and started to rapidly try to pick the keyhole. She'd have to leave it up to Ginger to keep the Buggy Pirates from attacking them until she freed the boy. 

Just as predicted, his crewmen began to race towards the struggling three. Captain Buggy pointed his finger at them and shouted, "LITTLE GIRL, YOU TRIED TO MAKE A FOOL OF ME!! FOR THAT, YOU DIE!!"

Ginger squared up her shoulders, eyes moving around frantically as she tried to determine what was the best course of action.

Sensing this, Karasu mulled it over for a second. "You have to get by them first before you can diffuse the wick!" Ginger looked back at her, nodded, then charged forward at the men with tight, determined eyes. Karasu kept fiddling with it, sweat dripping down the sides of her face as her nerves became more erratic. I hope she makes it in time, she thought. 

Straw-hat matched her urgency and started grinding his teeth faster on the bar he was chewing on. "No way! I'll never give up," he said, making Karasu look up at him with surprise. With a few words, she could tell he was completely serious. "I'm not gonna die here just 'cause of some dumb clown."

Behind her, she could make out the sounds of metal clashing against metal, heavy panting, and the occasional grunt. "You missed!!" A crew member laughed, causing Karasu to turn around and watch Ginger, who slipped past the bumbling morons, throwing her staff at them and grabbing the scolding, blazing fuse with her bare, raw hands. 

"Aggh," Ginger hissed, closing her eyes tightly as her hands sizzled and cooked. That'd leave her hands a bright pink for a couple of hours. 

The Buggy Pirates she dodged creeped up, weapons still in hand, making Karasu and Straw-hat both yelled out, "HEY! LOOK OUT, BEHIND YOU!!"

Just as they were about to reach her, a moss headed man appeared guarding and stopping them by shoving two swords in their faces, a third still strapped on his belt. Ginger still had her back to them, though Karasu could hear her panting softly. The newcomer was rather tall and intimidating looking. He was by far the tallest out of them all, and he used his height to his advantage against his opponents, Karasu noted. 

"How many pirates does it take to handle one girl?" He snorted, shaking his head in disappoint at the weak men. Pirates my ass, Karasu snorted. 

"ZORO!!!" Straw-hat exclaimed happily as he wiggled where he sat, itching to get out of those ropes. 

Zoro released the now unconscious pirates and turned to what Karasu guessed was his captain. "You hurt?"

"No, I'm okay. Phew, I'm glad you found me! Now get me outta here!" 

While walking towards Straw-hat, Zoro noticed Karasu and the two made eye contact. His stare was questioning, so she moved her shoulders a little so he could see that she was trying to help free his captain, and by the at-ease look in his eyes, he got the message. "You're always goofing around..First you fly off with a bird, and now you're playing in some cage, dumbass!"

Karasu ignored the talk of the other pirates and turned back to the cage, trying to wiggle and twist the small, thin, metal rod she found laying around. She could not remember the exact pattern it was to unlock old fashioned locks like these, but she had a feeling she was close to unlocking it. She already knew he was the infamous Pirate Hunter, but from the looks of it, teaming up with a pirate disqualifies the title. 

Captain Buggy's attention zoned in on Zoro, now that it was confirmed he was the famous Ex-Pirate Hunter everyone in the East Blue knew about. He stepped closer towards the swordsman, ill intentions in mind. "So you're Roronoa Zoro, eh? You must have come to capture me." 

Zoro rolled his eyes, mentally scoffing. To him, this man was not worth the trouble. He kept his back towards the annoying captain, focus still on his own. "I gave up pirate hunting, and I certainly have no interest in you." 

The clown man took a knife out and started rapidly weaving it between his gloved fingers, trying to subtly look cool and menacing. Karasu deadpanned, finding it stupid of him to try to scare the three-sword swordsman, seeing as though when it came to combat with blades, Zoro would most likely outmatch him. "Well, I am interested in you. Killing you will be a nice feather in my cap."

Karasu scoffed out loud, catching their attention. "As if you could him, judging by your pitiful ass crew, you are significantly weaker than him." 

Ginger's jaw dropped at the girls bold statement, while Zoro smirked as Straw-hat broke out into laughter, tears building up in his eyes. Captain Buggy sucked his lips in, narrowing his beady eyes at the black haired woman. "SHUT UP!! WHEN I'M DONE WITH HIM YOU'RE NEXT," he barked, angry at her words. He then gripped his knife and charged at Zoro, tongue drooping out to lick the blade. "Give me all you've got, Pirate Hunter. 'Cause I'm about to get a look at your blood!!!" 

With having no other option, Zoro placed his third sword between his teeth. "You asked for it!!" And then also charged forward. 

Karasu watched as they clashed, her eyes bulging when Buggy's body parts separated, but instead of the wounds bleeding, they simply floated in the air as the man laughed. She guessed it was a Devil Fruit's doing, and if he had been normal, she would've been right about Zoro winning. 

Karasu turned back around and continued fiddling with the lock. At this point it got annoying, but since she already started she wanted to finish. Not to mention, she also didn't want to leave the guy alone and unprotected in case someone were to try something as soon as she stepped away. 

"ZORO!!" Whipping back around, she saw that one of the clowns hands that was holding the knife, had moved on its own and stabbed into his right side, making blood gush out of his wound and mouth. The three watched in horror as he collapsed to his knees, hands stuck out in a stunned position. 

"WHAT THE--THAT HAND!!" Ginger gasped, fingers twisting themselves into her shirt, nerves buzzing in haze. 

The hand pulled the knife out and flew back to strike again, but Zoro anticipated this and spun around with one of his swords out. "What's going on!?" He gasped, confused. "The hand..It's floating!" 

Buggy began chuckling, his body parts assembling to make him whole again. "The Chop-Chop Fruit, that's the Devil Fruit that I ate! You can slice and dice me, but you can't kill me!! I'm a Chop-Chop Man!!" 

Karasu deadpanned at the stupid name. It was a half-useful ability, considering most pirates were likely to use knives and swords, but if that's all it did, then it was not worth the boasting attitude. Apparently Straw-hat agreed with her because all he had said was, "Chop-Chop Man? That guy's a freak!" The short girl snorted, lips quirking up. She had to admit, it was freaky looking. 

"Roronoa Zoro, you never had a chance against me. I missed your vitals, but you still took a serious wound," Buggy grins. His crew members cheered him on, foundling with his ego. 

Karasu rolled her eyes, speaking up. "You only managed to get a hit on him because of your ability, otherwise you would've died and lost easily."

The Buggy Pirates fell silent at her words, now all staring at her. Buggy himself glared at her with wild eyes, grin pulling into a firm sneer. "He lost because he was a weak swordsman!"

Shaking her head, Karasu stood up and walked around the cage, bending over and picking up her hammer. "He 'lost' because," she paused to smirk, making direct eye contact with him. "You're a rotten, good for nothing, snake." She knew saying that would rile him up, but it was the truth. Besides, she was rather upset for Zoro since it wasn't a fair fight. 

Straw-hat nodded furiously, "That's right!! Stabbing someone in the back is fighting dirty, Big Nose!" He then stuck out his tongue, as Karasu leaned over the cage, sticking out her own.

Everyone's, but Zoros, jaws dropped at the two trouble-inducing idiots. Zoro shook his head but smirked at them, while Ginger gaped with a mixture of awe and fear. At this point she was not surprised by the boy's behavior, but seeing someone she thought was rather cool-headed act like that shocked her. Buggy trembled with rage, using his floating hand to push towards Straw-hat and Karasu. 

Karasu glided over the cage, landing on top of the limb easily, pinning it to the cobblestone. She swung her hammer around a few times, still staring at Buggy. Straw-hat didn't pay mind to her and also looked at the clowned idiot. 

"I swear, when I get out of here, I'm gonna beat your ass!!" Straw-hat shouted with a grin, pearly whites gleaming. Most people would've heard a boy talking sweetly overconfident, but Karasu heard promise in his tone, and in that hot second, knew he was dead serious. 

Buggy giggled, "Beat my ass? Heh heh, go ahead and try." He started walking towards the lot, "Don't make me laugh, you four are about to die!" Karasu broadened her shoulders, daring him to come closer. 

Ginger took a step back and moaned, "It's hopeless, we're dead.."

Sandals laughed back at him, "NO WAY I"M GONNA DIE, I GOTTA KICK YOUR ASS FIRST!!"

"And on how do you intend to do that?" Buggy asks, raising his arms above his head and leaning back. "Ain't that a joke?!" His crew mates laughed in agreement. 

Straw-hat leaned forward a little, staring only at his crew-mate now. "Zoro, run!"

The swordsman stopped and stared for a few seconds before smirking, "Oh..gotcha." Bolting forward, Zoro headed straight for the cannon. As Buggy's men raced forward to stop him, Karasu easily leaped forward, raising her hammer and slamming it into them. They flew into some near by buildings, smoke now covering them as they laid limply on some bricks. Like hell they're getting past me, she thought, determined. 

Rushing past her, Zoro gave a small head nod and continued on his way. Karasu turned around and began to fight off any stragglers who came too close. As she was doing that, Zoro had flipped the huge cannon around at the remaining crew members. Karasu recognized she was in the line of fire and quickly ran back in front of Straw-hat and next to Ginger and Zoro. 

"THE CANNON'S POINTED AT US!!!" They screamed, scrambling to get away. 

"YAHHHH!!! IT'S LOADED WITH ONE OF MY BUGGY BALLS!!" The clown shrieks in fear, as sweat drenches his face, smudging his white face paint. He then began to run back while simultaneously trying to get his men to stop from leaving. 

The caged boy cheers, while Zoro turns towards the two girls. "One of you light this thing!"

Ginger blinks, "R-Right, yeah." She steps forward and lights the match, setting it to the wick. Within a matter of seconds, it explodes and sends the Buggy Pirates soaring into the town, their screams following them. The town rumbles once again but does not fall apart. 

Waves of dust surrounded them in a storm, giving them some cover. Zoro turned towards the other three, kneeling next beside them. He panted softly, "Now's our chance." He then looks at Ginger and Karasu with questioning glances, "Who're you two, anyways?" 

Ginger looks uncertain giving her name, so Karasu answers first. "I'm Karasu." 

"And I'm..a thief."

Straw-hat beams, "Actually, they're our new navigator and knight!"

Both girls turned to him with stupefied looks, though Ginger seemed to be more angry then the blackette was. Karasu stared at her gloves in horror, the word knight ringing around her mind. "What are you talking about you idiot!? And shouldn't you be trying to get out of that cage!?"

The simple-minded boy paused, thinking about it. "Oh, yeah, maybe you're right.."

Zoro perked up, his lips moving slyly. "No problem, just stay in the cage." The other three then watched in chilled shock as the swordsman proceeded to lift the metal cage and boy up onto his shoulders, though blood consequently squirted out the wound. 

"Zoro, don't do this...Your guts will pop out!" Sandals says in stunned concern, eyebrows turned down. 

Said man started walking forward, making blood gush out. Ginger gasped, face distraught. Karasu could only watch for a moment before she slipped under the cage, lifting her hammer up and using it to push up the back end of the cage, to help ease the weight of it. Zoro's eyes slipped on her for a moment, relief pooling in them long enough for her to see before they turned hard again as he faced forward. 

"Then I'll just shove 'em back in!" He stated, face dark. "I do things my own way, so don't give me lip about it!" 

The four of them rushed out of there, all of their chests filled heavy. 

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so ik it seems like Karasu has a lot of confidence here but i only made it that way since it's just buggy theyre up against and thats not really a formidable opponent. 
> 
> 3.7k words ❤


	5. The Buggy Pirates (Pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another quick note, but I try my best to follow the manga script as closely as possible. Next chapter will be the final part of the Buggy Pirates arc and then I'll move on. Will be updating it within the next few days!
> 
> anyways, pls enjoy! (⁎⁍̴̀﹃ ⁍̴́⁎)♡

How she let herself get dragged into this situation, Karasu had no answer. It was by far the craziest thing she'd been involved with, which said a lot considering who her family was. She wondered what her father would say if he saw her right at this moment, struggling to help carry a caged boy with a wounded, infamous, ex-pirate hunter. He would probably tell her to stop wasting time and get back home if she weren't using her time wisely.

Zoro grunted as he released the metal cage down on the dirty ground, blood now oozing out of his side, drooling down to his waistline, coating the black sash he wore there. Karasu anxiously bit her lip, "You should really rest before that gets worse." She really didn't want him to move anymore, stressed that his insides really would pour out. 

Said man merely glanced at her, and while it didn't look like he heard her, he collapsed to the floor, panting as he laid there. The blackette smiled a little, happy that he had listened to her words of advice. "Shit, I lost too much blood.." He groaned, throwing an over his eyes momentarily. His chest steadily rising and falling. 

Karasu crouched down in front of the enclosure, studying the bolt. If only she could break it off. "What're we gonna do about this cage?" She asks, fingering it, testing to see if it was rusty enough. Unfortunately it was rather new and couldn't be opened by force, at least not that way. 

Moss man shrugged his shoulders, "Not sure, I don't have the key."

Straw-hat had wrapped his hands around the bars, now free from the rope, and started to chew on them again. That was until he noticed a small, white dog staring at him with such a dead look. He turned his body in his direction and began poking him, "What's with you, dog?" Said dog didn't even blink or move. It doesn't look like it's even breathing, Karasu thought uneasily. "Is it even real? It's not moving..Maybe it's dead." He started poking his eyes, though when he did, the dog leaped forward and bit him in the face. Karasu stood up and grabbed the dog's body, trying to pull him off of the boy. "WHY'D YOU HAVE TO AGITATE HIM?!" Karasu whines loudly, over this whole thing.

"WHIS NOT MHY FWAULT!" Said boy yells back, trying to push the dog off of him. 

"LUFFY, STOP PLAYING AROUND!!" Zoro screamed, face tense and veiny. He then fell back on the floor, panting again. Finally, the dog let go and Karasu took a few steps back, now holding the dog up in the air. Luffy leveled himself onto the cage floor, grumbling to himself. 

"Dumb dog..."

"Lost..too much blood!"

Nami shook her head as she stepped up next to them, clearly have had seen the whole ordeal. "Look at you three, you're a mess! And not to criticize, but how is hiding in the middle of the street hiding yourselves?" 

Luffy tipped his head back, "Hey, it's our navigator!"

"I NEVER AGREED TO THAT!!" She barked back, before taking a moment to calm herself. "I just wanted to thank you for saving me.." Ginger gently threw down the key, a pleasant ring humming in their eyes as it spun, then settling. 

"THE KEY!!!" Luffy cheers, "You stole it?!"

Nami shifted, a soft red hue brushing onto her cheeks as she looked the other way nervously. "Yeah, I got the stupid key, but I left the map and all the treasure."

Karasu smiled down at the dog who was staring at her now. She's really nice, she hummed to herself, happy of the outcome. The dog's tail moved for a brief second before he turned his head back towards the others. Karasu set him down with ease, and he walked forward towards Luffy and the other two. 

"This is great, I thought I'd never get out of here!" Straw-hat beams, relief etching on his face.

Zoro smirks, "The rescue mission, was a success."

It was all smiles until the petite dog reached over, picked the key up, and swallowed it whole. A second was all it took before the four of their expressions turned into one of absolute horror as their jaws dropped. "Oh my god!" Karasu says, rushing forward to grab the dog, but Luffy was quicker, and he had his hands wrapped around the dogs throat, squeezing him tightly. 

"COUGH IT UP!! THAT'S NOT FOOD, GIMME THAT KEY!!" Luffy screeches, shaking the dog viciously, his eyes popping out of their sockets. The dog choked out, spraying spit over the boy. 

A pair of foot steps approached them, making Zoro and Nami look up. Luffy only kept shaking the dog until the man spoke up. "Darn whipper-snappers! Leave poor ol' ChouChou alone!" Said dog was let go as Luffy calmed down, but was still bitter, seeing as he was glaring at ChouChou. 

"Who're you, old timer?" Zoro asks, eyebrow raised. He didn't really think that the man was dangerous, and kept his body against the wall he was resting on. 

The odd looking man straightens his back, arms crossed. He wore a warrior's outfit, his chest plated with metal, and a long spear was attached to his back. His hair was styled weirdly and was very see-through and gray. "I'm the mayor of this town, that's who!" 

Karasu's eyes widened as she realized this was the man she talked to over the phone. She then reached into her small side pack, taking her black and red snail out and holding it up. "So you're the one who sent out the emergency call?"

Boodle's eyes were blank for a moment before recognition filled them. He then pulled his own out and nodded eagerly. "A-Ah yes! I'm so glad you made it!" He paused for a moment, noticing their predicament. "What happened with the pirates?"

The small blackette shifted her weight on one hip, putting her snail away. "We blew them up, though I doubt they're dead. But we bought enough time until we get him," she gestured to Luffy who waved, "out of this cage. After that, I'll get rid of them."

Luffy, who stopped waving, rolled his head back so he could see her more clearly. "You're going back to fight those pirates?"

Nami squared her shoulders back, not understanding, "Why would you do that? We just escaped from them, Zoro is injured, and you want to go back?!" 

Karasu cracked her knuckles, her red eyes gleaming bright. "'Cause if I don't, then they'll continue to destroy this town, and the innocent people within it." She stopped, then looking at the mayor, throwing a covered finger at him. "Besides, he asked me to, and I don't intend to break my word." 

Nami and Boodle stared at her with some sort of admiration and surprise, not expecting her, a pirate, to still help out with the town. Luffy stared her with a blank expression. It was unreadable, but for a split second you could see some warmth in his eyes. Zoro only smirked, obviously pleased with her words, but then coughed up some blood, clutching his wound. 

Boodle noticed this and made his way over to him. He squatted next to him, resting his weight on the back of his heels. "Oh my! Did those blasted pirates hurt you?"

Karasu walked over and crouched beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, they pulled a dirty trick on him, wounding him. Do you have a doctor that can help him?"

Zoro pressed his back to the brick wall and tried pushing himself up to stand. Karasu and Boodle each took an arm, placing it over their shoulders, and steadied him. "I don't need a doctor," Zoro grunted. "Just leave me somewhere to rest."

Despite protesting, Boodle and Karasu practically carried the wounded swordsman to the mayor's house and left him there after wrapping his wound in some bandages. It only took about five minutes to reach the house, and five minutes to get back. 

"Where'd you put Zoro?" Luffy asks, playing around with his fingers, stretching them out. Ginger stood next to the cage, hands on her hips as she watched the two walk back to them.

Karasu headed straight for the cage, mind still on freeing him at least. "We left him at Boodle's house to rest up since he was too stubborn to actually take any help."

Luffy then turned his attention towards the small dog, who went back to do nothing except stand in front of the Pet Food store. "What's his deal?"

"He's guarding the shop! I just swing by to feed him," Boodle answers, looking down at ChouChou. 

"So he's a guard dog?" Ginger says, though it's more like a question. "For a pet food store..."

Boodle sat down at the Pet Food steps, arms resting on his knees. "The owner of the shop took ChouChou in was a good friend of mine. About ten years ago he left the shop and left him in charge."

Nami shook her head, "So he just left him by himself? That's pretty cruel. Is he at the refugee center with the rest of the townsfolk?"

The mayor shook his head sadly, "No he's not...He got really sick and passed on. When he got ill, he went to the hospital and didn't come home."

Karasu frowned, stopping at what she was doing. Her red eyes drifted towards the small dog, heart going out to him. She understood what it was like, losing someone to some stupid sickness. It was gut-wrenchingly hard to watch and stomach. She prayed that the owner was watching over ChouChou, and that he himself was at rest.

"The poor thing," Nami said. "You mean he's been waiting for his master this whole time?" 

Boodle shook his head, "Everyone thinks that, but no. ChouChou is a smart dog, and I believe he knows his master is dead."

"Then why does he still guard the store?" The navigator asks, confused.

Karasu bit her lip and answered for him softly, "It's his treasure." The other three looked at her and saw she was still working on the lock with rather sad eyes. "It was his masters store; and since he was someone dear to him, it became his treasure."

Luffy's dark eyes gleamed as he looked at the girl in front of him. Though she could not tell, nor anyone else, she had became a dot on the rubber captain's radar. 

Boodle nodded his head at Karasu, agreeing with her words. "I've been trying to get him to the shelter, but he won't budge from this spot. He'd rather starve to death than leave his post.."

Suddenly, a thunderous roar spread out throughout the town, though it was especially close to the group. Nami and Boodle shook, limbs really wobbly. 

"What's that horrible roar?!" The ginger yelps, face pale and nervous. Her hands twisted around the hem of her shirt, most likely out of habit. 

"THAT'S MOHJI, THE LION TAMER!!" Boodle screams, and the two dash off into the opposite direction, going to take cover somewhere. Karasu and Luffy look at each other unimpressed, then at the dog, who had still not moved. 

"Something's comin' this way, so give me the key dog!" Straw-hat grumbles, face contorting into a grim expression. 

Karasu crouches beside ChouChou, combing her gloved fingers through his fur gently. It wasn't groomed or well taken care of, so she decided to make it less nappy. She felt his tense body relax slightly, obviously liking the sweet treatment. 

In front of the three appeared a large lion, with an ugly man on top of its back. His face looked very tight and scrunched up, as even his nose was too squarish. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? I'm Mohji, Buggy's first mate. They call me the lion tamer!"

He then notices the predicament Luffy is in and how Karasu was watching him. "Looks like all but one of your friends has left you. Even after all their efforts to get you this far.."

Karasu became unimpressed quickly, turning and started playing with ChouChou's fluffy paws. She wished had a dog, or a cat. Even a bunny would be rather cute to have. She wasn't allowed any pets when she was a kid, since her mother was..

"What's with the weird costume?" Luffy's voice broke her train of thought, and Karasu looked over at how close the lion was to the cage. 

Karasu snorted, making Luffy grin. "COSTUME?! THIS IS MY HAIR!!!"

"That just makes it weirder," Straw-hat replied, making Karasu break into laughter. From afar, Nami and Boodle watched the three of them interact in horror. Their hands clutched the corner they were peaking from, wondering why the short girl and Luffy was laughing.

"SHUT UP!!" Mohji screams his reply, clearly fed up with the two's antics. "You may think you're safe in the cage, but you're dead wrong. You've never met me before. There's not an animal I can't control, I can even control that mutt." Karasu froze after hearing that word, become very still and statue like, thoughts of her father running in her head.

When Mohji pointed his finger at ChouChou, the dog leaped up and bit his hand. Karasu's body tensed as she stood up, the blood in her body burning. "You're no tamer," she hisses, eyes turning to mere slits of red. 

Once he shook the dog off, he looked at the short blackette. Her hands were fisted into the black skirt she wore. Her shoulders were tight and bunched up, and her face was red and angry. Her whole body trembled. "What did you say to me?" He asks with anger, his own face becoming intense.

"You're not a tamer!" She bellows, her body leaning forward a bit. "You're just some cocky punk! You don't know the first thing about being a tamer!! Tamer's form bonds with animals, not terrorize them!! It's not about control, it's about respect!" She huffed and puffed after she says that. Luffy side-eyed her under his hat, watching the calm girl get worked up. He was curious what made her get upset like that. ChouChou moved in front of her, unknowingly protecting her, and barked. Almost like he was backing her words up. The straw-hatted boy's face broke out into a hidden grin, then it stopped after a few seconds before anybody could see it. 

"I'LL KILL YOU AND THE BOY!!!!" The false tamer screeches, his entire face veiny. "GET THEM RICHIE!!!!" 

Said lion roared and threw his paw up and brought it down, breaking the entire cage. Luffy jumped out and cheered, "Hooray, I'm free!" Karasu picked up ChouChou to move him, but before anybody could move, Richie's giant arm swiped Luffy and Karasu into the air, causing her to accidentally drop ChouChou onto the floor.

Karasu screamed for a little while, the shock and fear of surprise made her body freeze up. Before she could crash into the house, strong arms curled around her waist and upper shoulders, gently pulling her into a firm, warm, sturdy chest as the two landed in the house, but the force was so powerful that they flew through and ended up on the concrete, the person shielding her took most of it, yet held her there until they had stopped moving.

Karasu coughed a few times, laying on whoever caught her for a few more seconds, then sat up sluggishly, reaching a hand behind her to put on her back to rub the subtle ache. Turning her head over shoulder, she noticed it was Luffy who had caught her. The two made eye contact before Karasu got too nervous and looked elsewhere. She quickly stood up and held out her hand for him to grab. 

"Wow, what an impact!" He exclaims with a grin, pulling himself up by using Karasu's hand. They balanced each other, keeping one another stable. "He knocked us through the house and onto the street! At least I'm out of the cage..."

He continued talking but Karasu was staring down at their still connected hands, cheeks a dusted, rosy, pink color. She wanted to thank him, but shyness creeped up her throat and kept her mouth clamped shut. Swallowing, she quickly squeaked out a soft, "Thank-you-for-catching-me!"

Luffy paused his rambling, blinked, and gradually turned towards her. He just noticed their large height difference. She was much shorter than he was, seeing as she only came just below his chest, making him look down at her. Her hair reached her waist despite it being twisted into braids, and her bangs came just past her nose. She wore a stubby, pale shirt, black skirt, and big white shoes that were three times bigger than her ankles.

"Huh?" He asks dumbly, not having heard her. 

She puffed her round cheeks out and glanced around at everything but him, feeling somewhat stupid. "Thank you, for catching me.." 

"Oh! Shishishishi, you're welcome." He laughed and dropped his hand from hers, the two becoming unnoticeably colder without the other.

"HEY!" A voice called, making the two turn towards the person who got their attention. Boodle and Nami jogged over to them, their jaws dropped at what they had witnessed. "How did you both survive that!!" The mayor asks in shock, still not over it.

"It's no big deal," Luffy replies bluntly. Karasu points to the boy next to her, "He caught me."

"But how? Your bodies demolish a building and neither of you have a single scratch on you!! That's crazy!!!!" Nami yells, pointing directly at the wrecked building top.

Karasu shrugs and starts walking back to where the Pet Food shop is, "Crazy is sometimes good!"

"Where are you even going?!" Boodle exclaims, exasperated. He would need a long break after all of this stress. Maybe a vacation would do him some good. Luffy noticed where she was heading and jogged to catch up with her. "Not you too! Why even come here and fight with these pirates, boy? I only asked the girl."

Karasu no longer paid them any mind, only focused on ChouChou. She hoped the lion hadn't eaten him, or even sliced him into pieces. Luffy noted her distant eyes and answered, "I'm after a map of the Grand Line, a navigator, and a knight!"

"HUH??" The two scaredy cats ask, having a hard time believing they would go back to where the lion tamer is. "THAT DIDN'T EVEN ANSWER THE QUESTION!!"

"We're going back to look for Zoro and that weird costume guy," He answers, no longer acknowledging them, even as they shouted warnings to run. 

Karasu and Luffy walked side by side in silence, their minds heavy with thought. The two hadn't needed to say anything to one another but they both knew that they would defeat the pirates, no matter what.

"RUFF!"

Pausing in their steps, the duo looked at one another in confusion when more barks followed after the first large one. "ChouChou," Karasu whispers with big wide eyes, taking off in the direction of the barks, Luffy following after her. It took them a minute to reach the pet shop, or what was left it.

"Th-The pet store.." The blackette gasps, hands covering her gaping mouth in fright. The Pet Food store was now in flames and unrecognizable. All that would be left were pieces of burnt wood, and whatever metal they used. The only way they knew it was the shop, was because ChouChou sat there, howling in pain. Tear drops dripped down from his eyes as he watched his treasure burn. The pair stood there, drinking in the image of the heartbroken hound, engraving it in their memories.

Mohji and Richie stepped in front of them, clearly enraged and bewildered with seeing that they made back alive. "You two! Didn't I just deal with you?! You should be dead."

Karasu ignored him and kept staring at the sad dog, feeling guilty for have not protecting him and the shop better. If only I hadn't been in reach, she thought. I could've stayed and defended them both.

"It'll take more than a little kick to kill us," Luffy replies. "I'm a rubber man!"

Mohji's face grew more and more tense as he became quite annoyed with the Straw-Hat boy. Karasu let her eyes drag onto the gross man and his captive pet lion. "Rubber man? You've got the devil's own luck, boy. But that hit must have scrambled your brains.."

The small woman perched up on the tips of her toes and leaned into Luffy's ear, unknowingly making him shiver. "Which one do you want me to handle?" She murmured softly into his ear, still staring at Mohji in distaste. 

"The lion," he replied, just as Richie and Mohji came charging at them. Karasu took her hammer off her back and spun it around a few times, then leaped towards the lion, her face tight and furious. 

The blackette slammed her large hammer into Richie's face, crushing his teeth and knocking him out. Karasu grunted as she hit the lion far away, making his body crash through three buildings, leaving enormous holes in them. Luffy grinned as Mohji's jaw dropped in terror. "You," she panted harshly, "are annoying." 

"RICHIE!!!!" Buggy's first mate screeches, big globs of tears streaming down his face, soaking his blonde beard. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO FREAKS!?"

Karasu swung her hammer down before striking it down on the cobblestone, creating a large crater where it now was. "I ate the Devil Fruit, Tsuyoi-Tsuyoi." 

Luffy's hat created a shadow over his eyes as he cracked his knuckles, "And I ate the Devil Fruit, Gomu-Gomu."

Mohji eyes turned white as they popped out of his head, "YOU BOTH ATE THE DEVIL'S FRUIT, LIKE CAPTAIN BUGGY!?" He realized there was no chance of winning between the two of them, and held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! I'll give you all the gold you want!! J-Just let me apologize and go alive!" He begged as his body trembled with fear.

Karasu let Luffy handle this, and walked over to the weeping dog. She plopped down beside him, not saying anything. She let the hammer drop next to her, pulling ChouChou into her lap.

"It's too late for apologies...They won't bring back that dog's treasure!" Luffy says, and when he looked up, Mohji saw how serious and veiny his face was. "That's why we came to clobber you!" Stretching out his arm, Luffy grabbed and yanked in the man, using his other fist to break in his face. Blood spurted from Mohji's mouth and nose as he then lost consciousness. 

Luffy noticed Karasu sitting and holding ChouChou, a grim look overcasting her face. Walking towards them, he looked down at the girl who was already staring at him with big, sad eyes. She kept petting the dog, doing her best to ease his tiny, hurt body. Taking his straw hat off, he placed it down on Karasu's head, making her stunned. 

"Watch this for me," he says, not looking at her. "I don't want it to catch on fire." He then heads directly into the old shop, trying to look for anything that would mend the dog's aching heart. Smoke still rose from the burnt shop, even after the flames had went out. 

Karasu could hear Luffy shifting through the store, moving pieces of black wood and hot metal. She looked down at the dog who was no longer weeping. She then saw how damaged his back leg was, so she reached into her side pack and took out some bandages. "I'm gonna wrap your wound up, okay?" She asks softly, but ChouChou didn't move an inch, so she proceeded to do it anyways. As she was wrapping she noticed how relaxed his body started to become, and she felt glad that she was able to help, even a little. "I'm sorry we couldn't save your shop, ChouChou."

Said dog leaned his head back to look into her watery ruby eyes, still not barking. Karasu sniffled a tiny bit, giving him a sad, wobbly smile. "If only I were stronger, you still would've had your treasure intact." Behind her, she could hear two pairs of foot steps heading her way, but didn't tear her eyes away from ChouChou's. 

"Pirates," Nami hissed a few feet away from her, eyes zoned in on the black haired girl sitting in front of the ruined shop. "They're all the same; taking away what's most precious and laugh while doing it!" 

Luffy then stepped out of the house with a box of treats in his hand, though it was cracked at the edges, the lines not completely connecting, from being broken into. Nami and Boodle noticed him, not seeing the treats. "Hmph! You two are still alive? I was hoping that lion would eat you!" She then started to charge towards them, but the mayor held her back from mangling the two. "I OUTTA KILL YOU RIGHT NOW, BEFORE YOU CAN GET A CREW AND PILLAGE SOME TOWN!"

He stuck his tongue out at her, clearly not amused. "You don't stand a chance against me."

That only upset the girl even more, making Nami thrash in Boodle's arms. "THEN LET'S HAVE AT IT RIGHT NOW!!!"

The boy only looked at her blankly, then turned back to Karasu and ChouChou and plopped down beside them. He set the busted up box in front of the two, looking at them. "That's all I could save for you, boy. The rest got eaten or burned." ChouChou turned his head towards the treats, staring at them. 

Nami paused from trying to get to them, staring at the three in complete surprise. She didn't know he was in there rescuing whatever was left. The girl then noticed that Karasu was wearing Luffy's hat, yet said boy didn't reach for it. Heck, he didn't even seem to acknowledge it. 

"You did good! You fought well, and while I didn't see you in action, I know you did good!" Luffy told the white dog, giving him an all teeth grin. ChouCou looked back up at Karasu, surprising Luffy and the blackette. He leaned up, gave her chin a small lick, and then climbed out of her lap, picking up the box of treats by the top. He started walking away from the duo, but gave one last look at them before wandering off somewhere. 

"Good luck," Karasu called out to him, and she received a tail wag in reply. Luffy and Karasu sat there in silence, staring at the smokey and ashy building. There didn't need to be any words spoken on what would happen next, the duo's mind connecting, even if not intentionally.

-

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